Fall is a perfect season to train. Why? Heat. Warm enough to be comfortable while moving and cool enough to not melt while running up and down the range. So as we roll into Autumn I’m heading to the range with Sentinel Concepts Essential Carbine Employment. Fast paced courses are a rush. They can be intimidating too but a word of …

In 2009 the FN SCAR entered service and joined the ranks as a U.S. service rifle platform, first deployed with 75th Ranger Regiment of the United States Army. After 5 years in development and testing, winning the US SOCOM solicitation, it was put into service and sent to war. Nine years later the SCAR is in use by 20 nations …

In 2013 the bullpup and carbine markets of the United States received a shake up when Israeli Weapon Industries (IWI) opened on our shores and set up in Middleton, Pennsylvania. With their arrival they brought a rifle that many had been curious about and pining after for over a decade. The Tavor SAR. These modernized bullpups, built for the mechanized and …

From Mike Westra Every student that takes my concealed carry class hears these two questions at the beginning of the class. “Why are you here? and “What motivated you to take this course?” The usual answer is ” So I can protect my family”, however not last week. The only answer that I heard was “To kill the next active …

The PDW concept came to be at the end of the 1980s and was a product of a NATO request. NATO wanted to replace their 9mm submachine guns. They wanted a weapon that wasn’t as large as a rifle, but more potent than a submachine gun. NATO specifically wanted something that could efficiently defeat body armor. That’s the military/NATO PDW, …

Shooting and moving is an important skill to dust off every once in awhile. Sadly it’s raining today so we will live vicariously through YouTube. I did a variation of this early this week and I was… dusty. But by the third run the fail duster had done its job and I was shooting where I wanted to again. Pro …

“Most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on ‘pucker factor’ than the inherent accuracy of the gun.” A note on accuracy. It is a widely abused term. If a rifle isn’t ‘Sub-MOA’ (even if the person asking has no notion what that means) or a handgun doesn’t stack rounds at ten yards in their hands then the gun in …

When making a major purchase, a smart consumer will research options, read reviews, and compare products. A good student will do the same when seeking a firearms instructor and evaluating the quality of training offered. You are making an investment with your consumer dollars — and your life may someday depend on this training. The first step is to …

“Testing Armor” is a bit of a misnomer. Modern armor is a system with a series of components each doing a specified job. In most rifle armors there are three components to the system. What we’re testing is how these function together. -Hard Plate: Designed to take the rifle round impact on the strike face, will withstand rounds per it’s …

If you aren’t actively engaging or addressing the threat what is your new priority? Reload Run Communicate Reload. Get ready to reengage the current threat when it reappears or to engage the next threat, which may be a greater one depending on your circumstances. You don’t want to be in the position of having fewer rounds in your gun when …